As Chinese businesses continue to show growing interest in the Russian market, tenders are becoming one of the most promising and secure sales channels. Large Russian companies and state corporations increasingly procure goods and services through open competitive procedures, creating equal opportunities for all participants, including foreign suppliers.

However, there are real risks that any bidder may face. In this article, we will explain in detail how to verify the authenticity of a tender in Russia, which platforms are trustworthy, who is eligible to participate, and what steps should be taken to determine whether a tender is genuine.

1. Overview of Tender Platforms in Russia

The Russian procurement market is divided into two major segments:

  • Government procurement (regulated by Federal Laws No. 44-FZ and No. 223-FZ)
  • Commercial procurement

1.1 Unified Information System (EIS) — The Main Source of Government Procurement

The central element of the entire procurement system is the Unified Information System in Procurement (EIS) — the official government portal available at:

zakupki.gov.ru

This is the mandatory source of information for all procurements conducted under Federal Law 44-FZ (state and municipal procurement) and 223-FZ (procurement by state-owned companies).

The EIS contains:

  • Procurement notices;
  • Full tender documentation;
  • Technical specifications;
  • Draft contracts;
  • Protocols from all stages of the procedure;
  • Information about finalized contracts.

It is important to understand that EIS is an information portal, not a trading platform. The actual bidding procedures (submission of applications, auctions, etc.) take place on specialized electronic trading platforms (ETPs).

For government procurement, the Russian Government has selected eight federal operators, including the largest platforms:

  • Sberbank-AST
  • Roseltorg
  • RTS-Tender
  • TEK-Torg
  • ETP GPB and others.

Registration in EIS automatically grants accreditation on all these platforms.

1.2 Specialized Procurement Portals

In addition to universal aggregators, there are also platforms dedicated to specific procurement segments.

zakupki.mos.ru

This is the official low-volume procurement portal for Moscow and 42 other Russian regions.

In 2025 alone:

  • More than 180,000 supplier registrations were completed;
  • Annual procurement volume exceeded 57 billion rubles.

Sdelki.ru

Sdelki.ru is a B2B platform for legal entities and sole proprietors operating since 2001.

The platform includes:

  • More than 2 million product listings;
  • Over 100,000 completed transactions;
  • Total transaction volume exceeding 250 billion rubles.

Therefore, the first step toward safe participation in tenders is to use only official platforms and avoid suspicious websites found in random emails.

The main challenge is searching for tenders, as Russia has a very large number of procurement platforms. To simplify this process for foreign entrepreneurs, the G2R platform has created a solution that consolidates tenders into a single exchange and aggregates tenders from verified sources.

2. Who Can Participate in Tenders?

Under Russian law, any legal entity or individual (including sole proprietors) may participate in procurement procedures, except for persons recognized as foreign agents.

Federal Law No. 44-FZ explicitly states that any interested party may become a supplier in accordance with Russian legislation.

However, participation in government procurement requires compliance with several mandatory conditions.

2.1 Mandatory Requirements

Registration in ERUZ

A company or sole proprietor must be registered in the Unified Register of Procurement Participants (ERUZ) through the EIS portal.

Registration:

  • Is valid indefinitely;
  • Provides access to all eight major electronic trading platforms.

No Outstanding Tax Debts

The participant must not have unpaid taxes or mandatory fees.

Financial Stability

The company must not be undergoing:

  • Liquidation;
  • Bankruptcy proceedings.

Good Standing

Neither the company nor its management may be listed in the Register of Unscrupulous Suppliers (RNP).

2.2 Additional Requirements

The contracting authority may impose additional requirements, including:

  • Licenses and permits for specific activities (construction, healthcare, security services, etc.);
  • Proven experience performing similar contracts;
  • Availability of specialized equipment or qualified personnel;
  • Compliance certificates (ISO, SRO, etc.).

All such requirements must be clearly stated in the procurement documentation and apply equally to all participants.

2.3 Special Considerations for Foreign Participants

Foreign suppliers (including Chinese companies) are subject to Russia’s national treatment regime, which prioritizes Russian goods, works, and services and may impose restrictions or special admission rules for foreign products.

However, this does not mean foreign companies are prohibited from participating. Many tenders remain open to international suppliers provided they meet the established requirements.

3. How to Verify a Tender: Step-by-Step Guide

Now let us move on to the most important part — the practical steps that help distinguish legitimate tenders from fraudulent ones.

3.1 Step 1. Check Whether the Tender Is Published in EIS

If a tender is presented as a government or corporate procurement procedure under 44-FZ or 223-FZ, it must be published in EIS at:

zakupki.gov.ru

How to verify:

  1. Visit zakupki.gov.ru;
  2. Enter the tender number (unique identification code) into the search bar;
  3. Click “Search.”

The system should display complete information, including:

  • Procurement notices;
  • Documentation;
  • Protocols.

If the tender cannot be found in EIS and you are invited to participate via a third-party website or email, this may very likely indicate fraud.

3.2 Step 2. Verify the Contracting Authority

Even if the tender exists in EIS, the contracting authority should also be checked carefully.

You should:

  • Review the customer’s procurement history in EIS;
  • Analyze how frequently the company conducts tenders;
  • Examine previous contracts.

It is also recommended to use analytical systems such as MARKER and similar services, which automatically evaluate customers based on multiple factors, including:

  • Corporate affiliations;
  • Court cases;
  • Frequency of contract terminations.

Pay attention to “red flags”:

  • Frequent contract cancellations;
  • Ongoing litigation;
  • Zero financial reporting.

3.3 Step 3. Analyze the Documentation

Careful analysis of procurement documentation is a key part of verification.

Warning signs include:

  • Unrealistic deadlines;
  • Inflated or artificially low maximum contract prices without justification;
  • Incomplete, vague, or contradictory technical specifications;
  • Legal or grammatical mistakes;
  • Internal inconsistencies in documents;
  • Frequent changes to dates, quantities, or lots;
  • Lack of opportunities to ask questions;
  • Documentation published at the last minute, leaving no time for proper review.

These may indicate manipulation or bad faith practices.

3.4 Step 4. Recognize Common Fraud Schemes

Understanding common fraud schemes is one of the best ways to protect yourself.

Scheme 1. “Reliability Certificate”

Fraudsters may require bidders to provide a so-called “proof of reliability” in the form of a certificate from a fake “registry,” such as:

  • “National Register of Reliable Suppliers”
  • “Verified Organizations Registry”

To obtain the certificate, participants are asked to pay an entry fee. After payment, the procurement procedure suddenly disappears or gets canceled.

How to recognize it:

Russian law does not require such certificates.

The only official registry is ERUZ (Unified Register of Procurement Participants).

Any demands for certificates from systems with government-style names such as “EIS 2604” are highly likely to be fraudulent.

Scheme 2. Fake Customer Impersonating a Major Company

Fraudsters may pretend to represent a well-known company with a strong reputation. They send fake commercial offers with stamps and signatures, making the process appear completely legitimate.

The contract is signed, the goods are shipped — but payment never arrives.

One of the most common supplier mistakes is failing to notice that the sender’s email domain differs from the official one by a single character.

How to recognize it:

  • Verify whether the contract is registered within the customer’s internal system;
  • Use only official communication channels listed on the company’s website;
  • Carefully compare email domains character by character.

Scheme 3. Price Inflation and Cartel Collusion

Fraudsters may participate in auctions using automated bidding systems (“ramming tactics”) to win contracts with minimal discounts while artificially inflating contract prices.

Such actions are considered signs of cartel collusion and are prosecuted by the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS).

How to recognize it:

If the same companies repeatedly participate in auctions and prices decrease only slightly and uniformly, this may indicate collusion.

Scheme 4. Fake Commercial-Sector Procurements

Fraudulent tenders are especially common in the commercial procurement sector (223-FZ).

Scammers may create fake procurement procedures in order to:

  • Collect commercial offers;
  • Obtain access to technologies and pricing information;
  • Use the collected data for their own purposes.

3.5 Step 5. Check the Contract Registry

An additional verification method is checking the contract registry within EIS.

There you can see:

  • Which contracts the customer has already concluded;
  • Who the suppliers were;
  • Whether contracts were fulfilled successfully.

Search filters include:

  • Taxpayer Identification Number (INN);
  • Region;
  • Contract date;
  • OKPD2 classification code.

3.6 Step 6. What to Do if You Suspect Fraud

If you suspect irregularities:

  • Save all documents and communication records;
  • Do not sign questionable documents without legal review;
  • Contact supervisory authorities:
    • Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS);
    • Prosecutor’s Office;
    • Law enforcement agencies.
  • If serious concerns remain, refuse to participate.

Conclusion: How to Maximize Your Protection

The authenticity of a Russian tender can be verified by following a straightforward process:

  • Search only on official procurement platforms;
  • Verify the tender’s presence in EIS;
  • Analyze the customer’s history, reputation, litigation, and contract termination record;
  • Carefully review procurement documentation for unrealistic conditions or inconsistencies;
  • Never pay for “reliability certificates” or unofficial registry memberships;
  • Verify counterparties and communication channels before signing contracts.

Russia’s tender market demonstrated steady growth in 2025, creating significant opportunities for reliable suppliers, including Chinese companies.

The key is to participate thoughtfully, conduct proper verification, and avoid rushing into decisions.

Stay vigilant, use official sources, and do not hesitate to contact regulatory authorities if you notice suspicious activity.

If you have any questions, contact the G2R team.

In the “Tenders” section, you can browse active tenders aggregated from verified sources. Convenient filters help you search by keywords, procurement region, stage, and category:

https://g2r.market/tenders

This material is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. Before participating in tenders, it is recommended to independently verify all information and consult professional advisors when necessary.